Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ With Eyes Unclouded ❯ Passions Jaded ( Chapter 4 )

Kudos to the reviewers, my cat and cheese for making this happen. Cheers, mates.

Chapter Four: Passions Jaded

My eyes snapped open as I lay there on the bed, the silken blankets of it twisted around me. I shivered; my body was covered with cold sweat caused by dreamless sleep. I groggily sat up in the darkened room, flinching as the sudden jolt of pain drove the last of the sleepiness from my body.

"…Please…"

I jumped and my heart skipped a few beats as the whisper echoed through out the silent room. My head felt so heavy as I turned it slowly in the direction of the voice, my heart rising to my throat as I dimly made out who it was--- Van

He was lying next to me on the bed, his arms draped around me. The moonlight played softly across his askew hair… and down across… h-his… his… bare chest… "No… please… Hitomi…" He whispered hoarsely, tossing in his sleep, fighting off unseen demons. I swallowed hard, unsure of what I was going to do. As much as he vexed me… frightened me… Nobody should face nightmares alone. Without thinking I reached out towards him, I wanted to wake him up…

"Hitomi-!"

He bolted upright, his hand snapping out and closing around my wavering wrist.

His eyes where blank as he stared; glazed over like he still dreaming. We laid there forever; neither moving, Van holding one of my hands in mid-air with his own… his other twisted around my waist. I was shaking with fear as tears started to blur my vision… I-I didn't know what he was going to do to me.

My head was throbbing with pain as his other hand… the one that had been around my waist, drifted upward…brushing away the tears that had escaped from my eyes… Thoughts tumbled through my head a-as he dropped my wrist… one thought falling over the other of things to say, of things to do… Van leaned closer to me… wrapping his arms around me… calmly stroking my damp hair… as he held me to his bare chest until… until my trembling slowed…I felt so cold…He whispered something… into my hair that I couldn't hear… I nodded sleepily as I felt… my grip on the waking… world grew weak…my tears trickling… down into the hollow… of h-his neck as… as my… crying… slowed… I…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I woke a few hours later, the throbbing pain in my head numbed. I idly watched translucent curtains of the bed as they fluttered in the wind, visions of painkillers dancing in my head.

^%$#, I wish I had some Tylenol.

I stifled a yawn and rolled over; breathing in the calming scent that lingered on the pillow…It was the smell of the wind… the smell of…

The smell of Van…

I groaned, my face heating up as I remembered what happened last night. The blankets where twisted where he had lain last night holding me, the only sign that it hadn't been a dream.

I swore to myself and hid my heated face under a pillow as the doors on the far side of the room where flung open and a high-pitched shout came from the entrance.

"Hitomi!"

"Wha--- opmh!"

A blur of pink and orange pounced on top of me, almost knocking me over as it hugged me tightly.

"Hitomi, I'm soooo glad you came back! Lord Van and I missed you everyday you where gone!" The thing said--- no--- purred at me, licking the side of my cheek.

I'm dead serious.

It licked me. On the cheek.

As if it was some kind of-

"Cat! You're a CAT!"

The thing giggled as it jumped off me and sat at the foot of the bed, her tail twitching. "Of course silly, what else could I have been?"

I ignored that comment and tried to concentrate on the really important facts: I have a talking cat in my bedroom. I have a talking cat in my bedroom where I fell asleep last night in a complete stranger's arm.

And the fact I have a talking cat in my bedroom.

Yep, most definitely not in Kansas anymore Toto.

"Hitomi?" The cat-girl asked tilting her head to one side, her eyes wide, "What did you do to yourself?"

"Huh?"

The cat-girl pointed to the snow-white bandages that where wrapped tightly about every inch of my skin that showed out from underneath my pale green nightclothes.

No wonder it hurt to move, I was a mummy of Band-Aids.

"I--- umm…"

"Lady Merle!"

The cat-girl must've jumped three feet in the air when she heard that voice. Not that I didn't too or anything… I am in a delicate place in my life, having a talking cat in my bedroom, and almost being killed several dozen times… so maybe I jumped a little… just a little though… It's not like I did the girly-girl thing and give this feminine gasp and clutch sheets to my chest or anything… I just kinda jumped ten and a half feet in the air and felt like I was going to have a heart attack.

"Merle, please, she needs rest." The voice continued as a girl that looked slightly older then me, walked through the door.

I looked around. Rest? Me? I feel like I've been asleep for weeks in my dreams and I need more rest? I think I'll probably die if I have to spend one more hour in la-la land.

"I feel fine." I told her as I moved to get out of bed, trying not to flinch as I saw more bandages wrapped around my legs. Bloody %^$# girl, what did I do to myself?

The girl sighed, sadly shaking her head, causing her thick brown hair to ripple around her shoulders.

"Lord Van said you might be like this…"

"He guessed right then." I said gingerly getting to my feet and taking a few slow steps towards the window. Walking is an art form. Ouch. Walking is a very painful art form.

"As you wish then, my lady," The girl said quietly bowing. "My name is Rena, and if you wish anything during your stay here, feel free to tell me."

A smile crossed my face at the thought of the thing I wanted most right now, "Well, there is one thing…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Mmmm…"

You could practically see the dirt and that gross stuff that grows between your toes dissolve off me as I slipped into the warm water of the bath. I am dead serious. Not to be gross or anything but I don't think it was possible to be anymore dirty or grimy as I was then. I mean come on, running rampant in the wood with a guy and his trusty toothpick doesn't really do wonders for the skin, if you know what I mean.

My bones and tired muscles seemed to melt into happy piles of Jell-O as I sat there in the water… I didn't think anything could ever feel as good as that bath did… Well, maybe a hot guy masseuse giving me a back rub, but beggars can't be choosers…

I splashed the water slowly over my arms, noticing the splotchy reddish blue bruises against my pale skin. I didn't know which I was more worried about; the seemingly endless ring-around the bruises that rampaged on my body, or my lack of actual skin color, because seriously, I was pale… really… really… pale.

I sighed, and dived under the water, rising a few minutes later on the other end of the industrial sized bath tub that could've passed for a swimming pool…

Maybe a bikini and a few hours out in the sun with the personal masseuse was needed instead.

"Are you done yet Hitomi?" a faint shout came from outside.

"Not a chance Merle!" I shouted, grabbing a bar of soap from the side of the tub. Soap… my long lost friend… how I've missed you.

"Hurry up! You've been in there for ever!" Merle continued from where she was outside.

As if I was going to be done drowning myself in ten minutes. Jeez, a girl like me has to meet her old friends, you know Miss Soap and Mr. and Mrs. Warm Water and the rest of the gang.

"Please hurry?" Merle added, "You won't believe what--- ia dound youah ta lair!"

I sighed and sunk lower into the water, the only thing above it was my nose as Merle babbled on and on about something she had 'dound'. My stomach rumbled loudly as I laid there turning into a human prune and added another part into my fantasy: a bikini on a sunny beach with a personal masseuse and a super-sized Big Mac. I sighed and drifted into la-la land, visions of Big Macs dancing in my head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~…I felt the fading light of the moon on my back as I sat at my desk, my chin cupped in my hands as my mind wondered for the thousandth time in the past few hours… to the bedroom that was only a few hundred feet away from me now.

It strikes me as almost funny; I'm so close to her but yet so far.

Had it been three years ago I would be sitting up there with her already, her daydreaming about something and me cleaning my sword.

But it's not three years ago, is it?

No, instead of being near the one person who I've longed to see again, I'm here, twiddling my thumbs because I don't know what to say to her.

I've haven't talked to her in almost two years… not since the night of her sixteenth birthday when I gave her… when I gave her my promise and something to remember me by.

A locket.

I still remember her eyes when she freed the small box from it paper coverings, growing larger and dancing with their own light as she saw the locket. She had tried to thank me properly, but since only my ghost-like form was able to make the journey, her gentle kiss passed right through my lips. But I had gotten the idea.

That night she also promised me again that she would never forget me, even when she grows old… and that one-day she will be with me again…

Something happened a few days later though, I could feel her pain from it a planet away, tearing into my heart like I thought nothing could do since she left me.

But she wouldn't tell me what was wrong no matter how much I pleaded with her… no matter how much I begged and threatened.

I hated to see her like that, but she seemed to lock me out then, from her thoughts… From herself…

Seeing her and talking to her through thoughts became more and more difficult, nearly impossible even.

That is, until two days ago when the pillar of light brought her back to me. Even if she still could remember who I am, what we had been through together… I…

I don't know what I would say.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I am not wearing that."

"Why ever not? It would bring out your eyes so nicely." Merles said holding out a pale pink gown to me.

"Its…" I waved my hand hopelessly at the dress, "Pink."

"And you're point would be, what? I like pink." She asked lying it down on my bed.

I sighed, and flinched as a Rena yanked out half of my still wet hair, almost making me almost drop my tea.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry, milady."

I flinched again as she hit another tangle, biting my tongue as some of my colorful lingo tried to blurt itself out.

"Please Hitomi, just try on the dress?" Merle asked, giving me the ol' puppy dog eyes.

I rolled my eyes and stared up at the ceiling, this kid was way too cute for her own good, one day she was going to kill some boy with those eyes of hers. Or quite possibly knock him unconscious with her tail.

Merle sighed again, "Hitomi, please---"

"Isn't it a little late for a fashion show ladies?" a deep voice asked from the doorway.

"It's never to late to talk about the beauty of a cute pink dress." The cat girl shot back, picking up the dress and swirling it around.

Leaning to the side, I peered around her to see whom she was talking to.

A very tired looking Van, his hair more disheveled then usual, met my eyes.

He grinned at me sheepishly.

"Hey…"

My teacup fell to the floor with a clatter as it broke into tiny shards around my bare feet.

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or it's likeness. And I'm not making any money off of brainwashing poor, innocent readers into thinking that this horrible abuse of the English language is actual worth a review or two… *puppy eyes*

Version 4 (updated 8/5/03)